How to pick the right lab for a postdoc if you want to stay in academia. [based on my experience in the US and partly Europe] 1. Make a list of possible groups in advance. Meet their students & postdocs at conferences. Listen to their feedback. Get opinions from the faculty in your department. BUT don't trust others' opinions blindly. You may accidentally skip a great group just because you were misled by a colleague. 2. When cold-emailing advisors: - Do not be generic !!!!!!! - Prepare a perfect email that describes you, your experience and future interests. Don't make it too long. Attach a full CV. NO misspellings, NO “Hi Prof”! - Briefly describe WHY you want to do a postdoc in their lab (how will it help you?). - Add a short paragraph describing the potential research direction you envision. Avoid discussing details until you get to an interview. - TAILOR your email to each specific lab. It should be clear you know what they work on. - Avoid being too pushy, especially if you don't know the group. 3. Ask your PhD advisor to send a recommendation letter directly to those professors. This can help tremendously !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4. If you know they have an opening, you can ask for an opportunity to give an in-group seminar (online). In some cases, candidates gave “no-strings-attached” talks and ended up with an offer (it’s not common but it happens). 📍During the interview: 5. Prepare a perfect (!) talk. Tailor it to the group’s interests. 6. Do NOT just talk about yourself. Discuss THEIR interests too. Discuss the overlap of expertise - how can it help them improve or expand? Make them feel you CARE about their progress as much as you care about your own. 7. Explain how a postdoc position in this group can help your career. 8. Make sure lab members see you as a great colleague. Talk to them one-on-one and listen carefully to their experiences & hurdles. Help them with advice whenever possible. 9. Reach out to lab alumni on LinkedIn or by email and ask for a call. Discuss their experiences. Look for red flags. ❗️ Keep in mind that a good advisor will be supportive of you exploring and evaluating the postdoc opportunity and the group itself. _____ Question: “Should I do the same or a different topic from my PhD?” My experience: A postdoc in a different field can increase your chances in academia If you have a strong (!) profile as a PhD graduate (i.e. strong papers, good awards, great PhD advisor, etc). But if your profile is not strong and if your postdoc is short (1-2 years), your chances are higher in your PhD field. Keep in mind: Diverse expertise can help you stand out during faculty interviews. It can also help you establish a more diverse lab. But getting into a new field requires a lot more effort during your postdoc!